


late nights

by alisonangel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, College, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:15:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29824791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisonangel/pseuds/alisonangel
Summary: Armin has always loved coffee and Eren happens to be working at a coffee shop
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager
Comments: 43
Kudos: 110





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTER I PROMISE THE NEXT ONE WILL BE LONGER

'Sasha's Coffee'

The red lights glowed brightly outside of the small tan building. The building was smaller than Armin expected, his friend had made it seem like Sasha's place was going to be huge and bustling with people, but in reality, it did not seem big enough for over 10 people. It was exactly what Armin was looking for. The windows of the coffee shop were tinted black and you could not see inside. He wondered if it was packed and prayed for himself that it wouldn't be. He noticed a small plant on the windowsill and found himself smiling at it.

"Can I help you?", Armin was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard this. He turned away from the window and looked towards the door. A girl with long dark brown hair stood at the entryway, her black apron covered in different stains and her hands covered in flour. Armin stood there unable to form words to explain why he had been standing outside 20 minutes before close staring at the windows. She glanced at him with a confused expression on her face before speaking again. "Well, c'mon inside I'll get you some coffee." The girl opened the door wider and stepped back so that he could go in. Armin snapped out of his daze and stepped in. He looked at her name tag, it was bright red with the word 'SASHA :)' printed on it.

"Thank you, I'm sorry for intruding", Armin finally spoke up, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She gave him that same look of confusion as before and set down a cup of coffee on a small black table near the window. "It's no trouble", she said softly. Armin sat at the table and let himself glance around the room. The coffee counter was huge, it stretched from one side of the restaurant all the way to the other. There were about 10 tables in the shop, most having two small black stools but a couple with only one stool. The counter was black and sleek just like everything else in the shop. There was a small glass container sitting on top of the counter filled with macarons. He noticed how empty the place was and wondered why Jean had told him it was always crowded. Sasha came back and placed a green macaron in front of him, as well as a napkin.

"You know..", she started, pausing for a second to look at his face again "usually people don't show up right before closing time and just stand outside." His face flushed at her words and he began to run his hands through his hair, feeling self-conscious. He looked at her apologetically and she gave him a small smile. "I'm just messing with you, stay as long as you'd like, I usually don't leave until hours after close anyways." She stepped away again, going through a door behind the counter. 

He pulled out his small brown notebook. It was extremely worn and the faux leather strap was beginning to fall off, but no other notebook felt right. He flipped through the pages glancing over the small songs and stories written down. He flipped to a blank page and tried his best to write something, anything. He held the pen between his fingers, biting at the top of it. He heard a loud bang come from the backroom and wondered if Sasha was okay. He heard nothing for a few seconds and then laughter. Sasha's laugh was contagious, it was a loud bubbly laugh, the kind that was funnier than the actual joke. He found himself chuckling to himself and attempted to get back to his task. The laughter got louder, and he began to question why she was laughing at herself 5 minutes after whatever had happened when he heard another voice. The voice was too deep to be Sasha's but it was just as soothing, if not more. He put the pen down on the table and looked at the back door, trying to make out what the voices were saying.

"EREN! NOT THE FLOUR." Armin was officially curious and stood up from the stool, walking cautiously towards the counter. Sasha let out a loud scream and Armin's confusion turned to worry. He ran around the counter and pushed the door open. His eyes met with striking green ones instantly and he swore his breath hitched in his throat. The man standing there had brown hair that was pulled back into a messy bun and he was wearing a white tight fitted long sleeve with black sweats and a matching black apron. Armin stared at his arms for a bit too long and snapped out of it when he heard a throat clearing. He looked over to Sasha who was covered head to toe in flour. He tried to stifle back a laugh but failed when she blinked and all he could see was a white blob. 

The guy turned to look at Armin again his face holding an expression that Armin couldn't describe. He's breathtaking, Armin thought. He couldn't help but notice the way that his hair curled at the nape of his neck, and the way his arms looked in that tight shirt. Armin couldn't tear his eyes away. Eren had been looking at him too, not breaking eye contact at all.

"We're closed", Eren said casually. Armin stood there unmoving, captivated by the way the other boy's mouth moved when he spoke. His tongue poked out to touch his top lip when he finished his sentence. It was quick, but that motion was replaying in Armin's head. 

"Yo", Eren spoke again, "Did you hear me blondie? we're closed." Armin blushed at the name, fidgeting with his fingers and looking to Sasha for help. The brunette quickly wiped off some flour so she could speak without looking ridiculous.

"He knows Eren, I told him he could stay until I left."

Eren looked to him again, a small glimmer in his eyes when he raked his eyes over him. "Does the pretty boy speak?"

"Somewhat", Sasha replied. They both turned to look at Armin waiting for him to break his silence. He felt even more nervous than he had before.

"You got a name?", Eren said, the curiosity evident in his voice.

"Armin", he responded. Eren glanced over at Sasha and they shared a look. Armin couldn't figure out what it was they were silently saying but decided it wasn't important. "Sorry about interrupting, I heard a scream and got worried." Sasha's eyes softened and she got closer to him, giving him a small hug. Armin was surprised but didn't reject it, watching closely as she let go of him and left traces of flour on his gray cardigan.

"Sasha you realize not every stranger wants a hug from you right", Eren chuckled. She turned to glare at him and then turned back to Armin.

"Shit", she said, noticing the flour she had gotten on him. "I'm so sorry, I forgot I was covered in flour. Here let me get it off." Armin smiled at her kindness and watched her attempt to remove it all with her hands which were also, not surprisingly, covered in flour. When she noticed she was just making it worse she removed her hands from him and blushed.

"It's okay", Armin smiled, "It looks better this way." Eren laughed again. His laugh was deep and soft and had a small rasp to it. Armin couldn't help the fluttering in his stomach anytime the boy laughed. It was strange but Eren was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. Armin attempted to brush off the flour on him trying his best to get as much as he could off. He saw Eren move closer and stopped what he was doing.

"Take it off", Eren said. Armin's eyes widened instantly, redness creeping onto his nose and cheeks.

"What?", He replied, breathlessly.

"Your sweater, take it off", Eren repeated, watching Armin's reactions closely. Armin removed the cardigan, taking a lot longer than he usually would due to his hand getting caught in the sleeve multiple times. Eren observed him, a small smile playing on his face when the blonde finally got it off. Armin held it in his hands awkwardly not knowing what to do with it now that it was off. Eren approached him and held his hand out to grab it. As Eren grabbed the cardigan his hand grazed against Armin's softly, sending a shiver through him. Armin felt as if his heart was going to stop. Eren shook the cardigan out violently and Armin finally realized why he had told him to take it off. "There", Eren mumbled, handing it back to him. Their hands touched again, this time for longer, Eren's hand lingering on his longer than it should have.

"Thank you", Armin whispered. He put the cardigan back on, but it felt different than it had before he had given it to Eren, it felt safer. He looked at Eren who was fiddling with his hand and he wondered if maybe, Eren had felt the spark too. He glanced at his phone, the time reading 11:43. He didn't know how he had managed to spend an hour in the Cafe without realizing it. 

"Thank you for the coffee and the pastry", Armin said, a little louder. Sasha glanced at him and smiled.

"It's really no problem I would have had to throw those out anyway. Can't sell day-old pastries."

"I'm gonna go now", He laughed, "I don't know how I let it get this late." Eren was staring at him, that same look he had on his face before was back. "Goodnight Sasha and.."

"Eren", he said, "My name is Eren"

"Goodnight Eren," Armin said turning towards the exit, looking back only when he heard Eren speak again.

"Goodnight Armin", he replied, an emotion that Armin couldn't identify was heard in his voice. "Come back Soon."


	2. chapter two

Armin hadn't been back to Sasha's in three weeks. Anytime he would think about going, he would be reminded of Eren and what he said to him. "Come back soon" The three words echoed around in his head. He knew Eren wasn't being serious. Why would he tell him, a stranger, to come back? If not to just be polite to customers, Eren was not serious. Was he? Armin continued his overthinking while staring down at his history paper. He looked blankly at the prompt:

Choose a decisive battle and argue it from either side. The Battle of Berlin, and The Battle of Guadalcanal immediately came to mind.

Armin was lost, he had no idea what to choose. He was sleep deprived and hungry and had only written two words on a paper that was due in a day. The music from the next room growing louder the longer he tried to write. He finally threw the paper on the floor and turned over in his bed. The light on his alarm clock flashing repeatedly. 10:23. He wondered if Eren was at the coffee shop. It was Sunday and they usually kept it open until 10:30 on Sundays. He wondered if Eren even remembered who he was. Probably not, his face was pretty forgettable. The music was unbearably loud now, the pillows he had pressed over his ears doing nothing to drown out the loud noise. "JEAN," he yelled. Silence. Armin sat up in his bed and cleared his throat, "JEAN", he yelled louder. The other boy either couldn't hear him over his music or was choosing to ignore him. Either way Armin was starting to get annoyed. He yelled one more time for Jean before deciding to go over to his room.  
He banged on the door loudly, yelling out his name a couple of times before getting a response. He heard shuffling in the other room and another voice in the room. Shit, Armin thought, Jean probably has someone over. Armin was turning to leave when the door swung open. 

"Sorry," Armin started, "I didn't know you had people over you just have your music really loud and i'm doing history ho-" 

"Who is it?", a voice said in the background making Armin stop mid sentence. He looked up at a very disheveled looking Jean. His breathing was heavy and his hair was a mess, his usually styled mullet was sticking out in different directions and his shirt was inside out. Armin raised an eyebrow at him and mouthed, "Mikasa?"

"Marco," Jean responded. Armin stayed quiet, feeling awkward about interrupting them. "Sorry bout the music man i'll try to keep it down." He stood in the doorway, resting his hand on the top of the door frame. A tall boy emerged from behind him. He had short brown hair and light brown eyes with freckles peppering his face. He smiled sheepishly at Armin and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you want me to go?", Marco whispered to Jean. Jean's eyes softened and he shook his head to say no. 

"Is there anything else you needed A?" Jean asked. Armin shook his head no and asked if Jean could just keep the music down. "Sure thing, sorry about your history homework man." At this comment Marco looked over to Armin. 

"Do you know Eren?", the brunette asked. Armin's eyes widened when he heard his name. "He works over at Sasha's, he's pretty good at history." Armin glanced over to the hall clock, 10:26. "Oh yeah, Eren's a history major isn't he?", Jean added. Marco nodded, fixing the back of Jean's hair. Armin ran to the door grabbing his shoes and slipping them on as fast as he could, throwing the apartment door open and rushing out. 

"ARMIN DUDE ITS LIKE 3 DEGREES OUTSIDE", he heard Jean yell, but he was already halfway down the street and couldn't waste another minute grabbing a jacket. The air was harsh, but Armin couldn't care less. His watch read 10:28 now and Armin ran even faster, desperately trying to make it in time. He could see the lights on the coffee shop sign in the distance, getting closer to him the faster he ran. When he finally reached Sasha's, he looked down at his watch again. 10:31. "Fuck", he whispered. The door's sign which usually read 'open' had already been switched to closed. He sighed and hit his hand on the door roughly, pissed at himself for coming out here in the first place. 

"What the hell are you doing", Armin shivered instantly, and he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or from knowing exactly who it was. Armin looked to his left, Eren stood there in a light pink hoodie and black jeans, his shoes were light pink and had scuff marks on the side. Armin wondered if they were from skating or something else. Eren's eyes changed when he saw Armin's face. "Blondie it's late and cold what are you doing out here without a jacket?". Armin looked down at his clothes, he was wearing dark grey sweats and a light blue short sleeved shirt. Eren walked in front of him and opened the Cafe's door, turning on the light and pulling Armin in by his arm. He walked over to the counter and started turning on the coffee machines. Armin realized what he was doing and spoke up,

"Don't make any coffee please I'm gonna leave now.", He turned to the door and pushed on it, a gush of cold air hitting his face. 

"Shut the door and sit down please", Eren said, not bothering to turn around. Armin ignored his comment and continued to open the door, struggling to fight the wind and keep it open. "Armin", Eren said again, softly. Armin turned to him, losing his battle with the door as it slammed shut. Armin walked over to the table he sat at last time, shaking slightly. The cold had finally started to hit him as he shivered. Eren walked over, placing a small cup of coffee in front of him. "Two sugars right?", Armin didn't know how Eren knew his coffee order, but was grateful for the warm drink. Armin nodded picking up the cup and taking small sips. "Ah sorry that was probably weird," Eren said, "Sasha told me what you ordered, not sure why I remember it though." 

"Thank you", Armin said, starting to warm up. Eren pulled a chair over to the small table and sat down, taking a bite out of the bread he had. Armin watched him closely as he ate the bread. 

"Do I have something on my face", He asked, not bothering to finish chewing when he asked. Armin laughed and shook his head. 

"No, just looks like good bread." Eren raised an eyebrow at him and ripped the bread in half handing the bigger piece to Armin. Armin could feel his face going red, he wasn't really looking at the bread, but he couldn't tell him that. How would he even explain that he was captivated by the way that Eren's mouth moved. In all honesty, he couldn't even explain it to himself. What is it about him that entrances him so much. Armin decided to ignore the feeling in his stomach and tried the bread. It was delicious, he hadn't had bread this good in his entire life. "Thisissogood", Armin said, stuffing the rest of the bread into his mouth. 

Eren smiled at this and went over to the counter to grab another piece, "Here, I made the bread". Armin took the bread happily and stuffed the entire thing in his mouth. He pictures Eren in the kitchen, kneading dough and getting flour everywhere and smiles. "It's that good?", Eren laughed. Armin nodded quickly. I bet you look good making bread, Armin thought.

"What?" Eren asked, a confused look on his face. "I guess I've never thought about how I look making bread ." Armin's face went red, had he said that out loud? 

"I meant- I meant that I bet you know what you're doing." Armin replied, trying desperately to sound convincing. "I've never made bread before", he added quickly, to throw off Eren and prevent any questions. Eren stared at him for what felt like forever with that same look on his face as last time. If Armin didn't know better he'd think it was admiration. 

"I could teach you"

"Oh no that's not what I meant by that, you really don't have to." 

"Are you free friday?", Eren asked, "We're usually closed on fridays but I could keep it open if you want to come and make bread."

Armin was speechless. He wanted badly to find out more about Eren. To know who he was. And to know why he had gotten Armin attached with just one look. After what felt like hours, Armin responded, "Yeah I'm free Friday." Eren scanned his face, trying to see if there was any lie behind his words. 

"I'm glad you came back Armin.", Eren said softly, taking the empty cup from Armins hand. Their hands grazed each other again and Armin audibly sighed when Eren pulled away. He wasn't sure if Eren heard it, but he had a feeling he did. Eren refilled the coffee cup and came back, but instead of placing it on the table like before, he put it directly in Armin's hand, taking as long as he could to let go. Armin could still feel the heat of Eren's fingers on his and he swore that time was slowing down. "Why did you decide to come back today of all days," Eren whispered. A piece of hair flew into Eren's face as he spoke, and Armin desperately wanted to push it aside. Armin wanted to do a lot of things, but this was new. Eren was new.

Armin took a deep breath, trying to make sure his voice was steady as he looked Eren in the eyes, "History".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger :) but chapter 3 is coming out in a couple hours.


	3. chapter three

Eren looked at him with a puzzled expression. "History?", he asked. 

"You asked why I came back.", Armin replied, feeling confused himself. Eren looked at him blankly, Armin could practically see the gears turning in his head. 

"No I didn- oh.", Eren stopped mid-sentence and put his hand over his face. He must have been trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto his face, but he was unsuccessful because the redness didn't stop at his cheeks. Armin could see his ears turning red and smiled at the sight, he realized Eren hadn't meant to say it out loud. Eren cleared his throat loudly, "So history," his voice faltered at the end making it sound more like a question than anything else. "History is nice, I'm actually majoring in it."

"I know"

"Oh you know do you? Are you stalking me blondie?" Eren replied, playfulness evident in his voice.

"Maybe", Armin responded, not daring to break eye contact. Eren's eyes looked brighter than usual and Armin wondered if maybe, he was the reason. The air felt thicker now and Armin noticed just how quiet everything was. Eren refused to look away, staring at him intensely. Armin was struggling to breathe properly and he debated closing his eyes to catch his breath. But he couldn't, not when Eren was looking at him like this. He relished in the feeling. He wasn't sure what Eren thought of him, but he wanted to find out badly. He wanted to know why, out of all the stares he'd received, this one felt different. 

"You're an english major right.", Eren asked, keeping the same eye contact as before. Armin questioned how Eren knew considering Armin never really spoke about school with anyone. 

"How did you?"

"You aren't the only one who did research", he replied casually, his face holding that same damned expression, the one Armin desperately wanted to identify. 

"Why", Armin whispered. There was silence for so long that Armin thought maybe he hadn't heard him. There was a soft inhale and then Eren responded again.

"Because I was curious about you." No one spoke for a while after that. The words Eren spoke sinking deep into Armin's mind. Curiosity, he thought, was that all this was. Just a nice guy who bakes bread being curious about him. What else could it possibly be? 

"Can you help me with my history paper," Armin said, looking down at the table to mess with his thumb. "It's kinda due tomorrow and I'm lost and someone mentioned you're good at it so yeah thats why im here," He rambled, not sure how to make it sound less weird. Eren laughed, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Armin couldn't help but smile at the sight. Eren was beautiful. 

"So you came out in the cold just so I could help you with history?", Eren continued to laugh, his face turning red. "What is it that you're struggling with?" 

"Well.."  
\---

"Hm so you need to choose a side?", Eren said, thinking about the prompt for a while. 

"I just cant decide who to defend, they're both wrong but, both are also justified." 

"How about we just choose randomly and I'll help you defend it?" Eren offered. Armin nodded and they began to discuss their actions in the battle. "Here write thi-", Eren started to say, "Do you have paper?"

Armin shook his head no and mentally slapped himself. How could he forget the most important thing. Eren stood up and walked to the backroom, leaving a very confused Armin alone. Armin stared at the window plant and waited, hearing occasional banging noises and a very frustrated groan. About a minute later Eren emerged from the back, holding a black notebook. "Sorry it took so long, I couldn't find it." He handed it to Armin and then fished in his pockets, pulling out a black pen and handing it to him too.

Armin flipped to the first page. There was a picture of Sasha there, she was wearing her work uniform and had a loaf of bread in her hands. He chuckled at the picture, but the longer he stared he realized it wasn't a picture, it was a drawing. He was in awe, the drawing was so realistic he had mistaken it for a picture. "Did you draw this?", Armin asked, absorbing every detail of the drawing. "It's beautiful", he added.

Eren ran his hands through his hair and looked away, stopping to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, It's nothing special just something I like to do sometimes." Armin flipped through all of the pages, seeing pictures of Sasha, animals, and Eren in the book. He flipped again and saw a picture that didn't match with the others. It was a picture of two hands around a coffee cup, one hand slightly bigger than the other. The hands weren't touching completely, the tips of their fingers slightly connected. Armin ran his hand over the picture softly, tracing the veins on the bigger hand.

"This one is my favorite," he said softly. Eren placed his hand on the paper, mimicking Armin but instead tracing his fingers over the smaller hand. 

"It's mine too" 

Armin reluctantly flipped the page over to the next one and was disappointed to see that it was blank. "Can i write on this one?", he asked. Eren just nodded, deciding not to say anything more. 

The paper wasn't finished until 2:36. Armin read over it twice just to make sure everything made sense and even asked Eren to read it too. Even though it was late, Armin found himself wanting to stay. Eren yawned and rubbed his eyes indicating that it was time for Armin to go. Armin stood up, tearing the page out carefully and closing the book. "Thank you for helping me, I'm sorry for keeping you up so late." 

"I don't mind", Eren said, standing up too. He went over to the counter and flipped off the machines and lights, grabbing some keys off of the table nearby. Armin walked to the exit, pushing the door open, it was still freezing outside. "Armin?", Eren asked loudly. 

"Yes?"

"Can I give you a ride home?". Armin nodded, closing the door and waiting for Eren to finish closing up. Eren grabbed the bottom of his sweater and pulled it over his head. A sliver of his stomach showed when he raised it over his head and Armin stared longer than he should have, his breath catching in his throat. Eren was wearing a black muscle shirt with the word "RIOT", on the front. Eren walked over, handing the sweater to Armin. "Here, It's cold outside." Armin felt like he was dreaming, he stood awkwardly with the sweater in his hands, not knowing what to do. 

"Do I hold it?", Armin questioned, "Won't you be cold?" 

Eren's eyebrows pulled together when Armin asked and he laughed softly. "No, put it on" 

"Put it on?" 

"Yes blondie, put it on, it's cold outside", Eren said, "I don't want you catching a cold." Armin was confused but complied, pulling the hoodie on. The sweater was extremely warm and smelled of tea and honey. He sighed contently. The sweater was loose on him, but he didn't mind. Something about it belonging to Eren was comforting to him. Armin didn't know what this meant. Eren was only doing it to be nice. He had to be. There was no other reason that he would let him wear it. It's cold, Armin thought, he probably feels bad making Armin go back home in the cold. "Stay here for a second, I'll bring my car to the front.", Eren said, leaving the Cafe as soon as he said it. Armin inhaled deeply, the smell of honey overwhelming him. He wondered if this is what Eren smelled like or if it was just some type of cologne. He hoped that it was the first one. A black car stopped in front of the Cafe and Armin opened the door, quickly jumping into the passenger seat. "I turned the seat warmers on, I hope that's okay"

"It's fine", Armin replied, pulling his seat belt on and looking over to Eren. "I live on Fourth street"

"Fourth? You don't happen to know Jean do you? Kirstein?", Armin laughed at the irony.

"He's my roommate." Eren groaned at this and put his head on the steering wheel. "Why?" To this Eren just mumbled something along the lines of "cocky bastard". Armin laughed at this and spoke up again, "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you know where I live." 

Eren peeked his head up from where he had it on the wheel and nodded slightly. He grumbled again and finally picked up his head. He pulled on his seatbelt and put the car in drive, slowly turning towards Armin's street. Armin chuckled again and looked out of the window, enjoying the peace the ride was giving him. Sparks by Coldplay was playing the background softly and Armin couldn't help but think of the first time he met Eren. The light grazes of his hand, his voice, his eyes, all Armin could think of was him. The way his hair curled around his ears and at the nape of his neck. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. The sparkle in his eyes when he told jokes. The softness of his hands. Even the way he looked when he was confused was utterly beautiful. Armin felt that same strange feeling in his stomach. Eren was driving slow, and Armin was grateful for the extra time with Eren. The song changed and Armin turned his head quickly to the radio. This side of paradise by Coyote Theory played. Eren reached his hand over and turned the volume up, bopping his head slightly to the music. Armin wondered then if Eren could sing. He tried to imagine his voice but was coming up with nothing. Eren started humming softly to the song, leaving Armin mesmerized. Eren's hums were soft but pretty, matching almost perfectly with the music.

"Can you sing?", Armin asked, making Eren stop his humming and laugh. 

"Not in the slightest," He responded, "Unless you like really bad singers, then I'm your guy." 

"I bet you're good", Armin said, hoping Eren would sing even one note. 

"Trust me on this one, I cannot." The song came to an end as Eren pulled up in front of Armin's apartment. Armin's stomach sunk as he realized their time had come to an end. He desperately wanted to stay longer. It didn't matter what he did, he just wanted to be around him. 

"Well I guess this is me huh?", Armin said, trying to hide the disappointment he felt. He opened the car door, turning to Eren for the last time, "Thank you, Eren, good night"

"Good night Armin", Eren replied. His voice softer than usual. Armin could hear another emotion there but just like usual, he couldn't figure out what it was that he heard. Armin closed the car door, walking into his apartment and heading into his room. He looked down and slipped off his shoes, noticing a flash of pink when doing so. 

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT", he ran back outside, trying to catch Eren before he left. But when he opened his apartment door, Eren's car was nowhere to be seen. Armin stood in the hallway, Eren's sweater still on. He shut the apartment door and debated on what to do. He decided to just return the sweater on Friday. He went to his dresser, switching out his gray sweatpants for some warmer ones. He grabbed a white shirt to throw on and began to slip off the sweater, stopping twice. He folded the white shirt and put it back into the dresser, slipping himself into his bed. He pulled the hoodie on the sweater over his head and pulled his blanket over him. He drifted off to sleep surrounded by the smell of tea and honey, not once thinking of anything other than the green eyed boy from the coffee shop.


	4. chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for the long wait :( i hope this chapter is up to you guys' standards.

Armin hadn't slept that well in a while. With the stress of school, writing, and just the world, Armin hadn't been sleeping well at all. But last night, surrounded by the unfamiliar yet extremely comforting smell, Armin slept peacefully. Images of Eren popped into his mind. He pictured Eren's messy hair and the way he constantly ruffled it. Eren's hair looked extremely soft and Armin wondered if Eren would mind if he touched it. He was still wearing Eren's hoodie, the sweet smell still lingered on it. He wanted to wear it forever.

He shook his head quickly, attempting to remove those thoughts. Why couldn't he stop thinking about him? He knew nothing about him. They weren't even friends yet, so why? Eren had invaded his thoughts and Armin, for once, didn't have a plan. He finally removed himself from the bed, glancing at the clock. 7:33. He groaned at the time and quickly changed into some light wash jeans and a long sleeved olive green shirt. He slipped on white converse and made his bed. Eren's pink hoodie was folded neatly on his nightstand. He debated taking it with him in case he decided to go to Sasha's, but decided against it. He grabbed the essay and walked out of the door, heading to class. 

\---  
Thursday- 11:52 PM

Armin couldn't sleep. His mind was flooded with nerves. He hadn't asked Eren what time to show up or what to wear. So now, the day before they were supposed to meet, Armin had no idea what to do. What if he showed up too early? Or what if he showed up late and Eren wasn't there anymore? If this kept up Armin wouldn't be getting any sleep. He debated asking Jean to ask Eren, but had no motivation to leave his bed and potentially interrupt Jean again. He sat up, groaning at the stiff feeling in his neck. The room was spinning and he was reminded that he had been in bed all day. He had no classes today and even if he did he doubted that he would've gone. He began craving tea and walked out into their shared kitchen. The apartment was quiet, too quiet. Jean's door was cracked open slightly and Armin decided to just take a quick look to make sure everything was okay. His eyes scanned around the room and he was met with an empty room. His eyebrows scrunched together as he pushed the door open a little more. Nothing. Jean's room was empty. He chalked it up to Jean spending the night at Marco's and closed his door. 

"Did you need something?", Jean said, making Armin drop his tea cup on the floor, cracking the handle when it hit the wood. 

"Jesus christ Jean, you couldn't give me a warning before giving me a heart attack", Jean laughed, leaning down to pick up the little white cup. He scanned it quickly to make sure it wasn't completely broken. 

"Sorry man, thought you heard me." Armin let out a relieved sigh and took the cup from Jean's hand. He had just noticed how Jean was dressed. He had on black dress pants and a pale purple button up, the top two buttons were open and the collar was crooked. 

"Where are you going?" Jean ran a hand through his hair, smoothening the back to try and hide the ridiculous amount of fly aways. 

"Sasha's, her and Niccolo are having some type of event? not really sure what it is," Jean said, cuffing his sleeves up slightly before he spoke again, "Gotta make sure Connie doesn't kill himself when he sees Sasha and Niccolo doing their thing" 

"Niccolo? you mean the guy that owns 'Michellines'?", Armin said, putting down the cup, stepping closer to Jean and straightening his collar. Jean nodded at this and pulled out a black tie from his pocket, handing it to Armin. Armin pulled it around Jeans collar, making sure to keep it straight while he tied it. "You know you really gotta learn how to tie your own one day."

"Why would I do that when I could have you to do it for me?", Jean said, raising and eyebrow playfully. Armin would never admit it to him, but he enjoyed having Jean around. "Speaking of do you think you can come tonight? I can't deal with Connie sober but i'd rather not kill us in the car ride back" He raised his head up to look at Jean giving him a face that screamed 'do i have to?'. "Please A?", Jean said, pouting slightly.  
Armin placed his hand on Jean's chest, patting it lightly, and sighed. 

"Give me five minutes." Armin said. Jean nodded and went into his room. Armin abandoned the cup in the sink and went back to his room. He put on some light gray slacks and pulled out two shirts from his closet. "JEAN", he yelled, throwing a black button up and a white button up on his bed. There was a knock at his door and Armin opened the door, motioning for Jean to come in. "Which shirt?"

"Black.", Jean responded, eyeing the pink hoodie on the bed, "You know, black is Eren's favorite color." Armin froze at this, not saying a word. He pulled off his shirt quickly and put the black button up on, making sure to get the buttons on correctly. "Ay are you trying to seduce me?", Jean said while raising both eyebrows. 

"You wish," Armin glared at him and continued to button his shirt. He grabbed his black dress shoes and put them on, grabbing his keys and Eren's sweatshirt on the way out. "Let's go." They were both settling into the car when Jean started mumbling to himself. Armin turned to him and scanned his face, trying to see why Jean was looking at him like that.

"You're gonna hate me", Jean finally said, refusing to look Armin in the eyes. Armin sighed. He knew exactly where this was going. 

"I have to pick up Connie don't I" , Jean still refused to look at him. "If he throws up in my car again i'm sending him a video of Sasha and Niccolo making out." Armin turned the key and drove off, heading to Connie's. The car drive to Connie's was quiet, both Armin and Jean enjoying the silence. 10 minutes later they were headed to Sasha's with a very hyper Connie in the back seat. 

"Min why won't you let me play my music", Connie groaned, messing with Armin's ponytail while talking. 

"Because you're gonna play "Cash Shit" again and i'm tired of hearing that song in my sleep." 

"I'm not gonna play it I swear.", Connie said quickly. Armin side eyed him and handed him the aux, preparing himself to hear Connie and Jean rapping. Connie grabbed the cord instantly and plugged it in. The beginning notes of Cash Shit started to play and Armin kicked himself for agreeing to come.

"AYYY", Jean yelled, "IT'S ARMIN'S FAVORITE SONG." The remainder of the drive to Sasha's was spent listening to the song on repeat, while Connie and Jean yelled out the lyrics. Armin couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Sasha's was packed and Armin debated on going home. Just when he was walking back to his car, he heard his name being called from the distance. He knew it was Eren before turning around and the familiar feeling returned to his stomach. Eren was dressed in all black. a pink tie wrapped messily around his neck. Armin chuckled at the sight. Maybe not knowing how to tie ties was universal. 

"Are you laughing at me blondie?", Eren said, smiling. Armin smiled back at him and handed him the hoodie, hoping that maybe their hands would graze each others again. Eren frowned at this and grabbed it looking around before handing it back to Armin. "Can you keep it for a little longer? I don't have anywhere to put it."  
Armin nodded and turned to open his car putting it down neatly on the seat. 

"Did you tie your own tie?" Armin finally said. Eren laughed at this and rubbed the back of his hand.

"Is it that bad?" 

"No", Armin lied. 

"It's terrible", Eren responded, undoing it and attempting to fix it. Armin laughed at his reaction and moved forward. Eren's hands froze as he watched Armin closely.

"Can I?", Armin whispered, moving in even closer. Eren nodded and dropped his hands. Armin knew he was too close. A lot closer than he needed to be. He knew that Eren probably wanted him to back up. But if that was true, Eren showed no sign of being uncomfortable. Armin raised his hands up and straightened out his collar, trying his best to hide the slight shaking in his hands. Armin's heart was beating so fast that he could hear it in his ears and he wondered for a second if Eren could hear it too. He spent entirely too long fixing the tie. This was nothing like when he tied Jean's. He was surrounded by Eren's smell and was extremely grateful to whoever didn't teach Eren to tie a tie. "There, all done." Armin started to back away when he was grabbed by the arm and yanked forward, his head hitting Eren's chest hard and the sound of gravel crunching piercing his ear. He had no idea what happened, but the ringing in his ear was not getting any softer. Eren's hand was placed firmly on his head preventing him from moving. It's not like Armin would try to anyways. His ear was pressed against Eren's chest and he could hear his heart beating. His heart was racing. Armin could feel Eren's stomach under his hand and had to take deep breaths to prevent himself from passing out. Eren's hand loosened its hold on him and Armin took that as his sign to pick up his head. 

"I'm sorry for yanking you like that. Some idiot ran the stop sign.", Eren looked down at Armin, checking to see if anything was wrong. "Are you okay?", Armin nodded slowly. He was still trying to process everything that had happened. Armin put his hand in his hair, making sure it wasn't a complete mess. 

"Shit", Armin muttered. He looked down at the floor and scanned the ground, searching for his ponytail. He noticed it near Eren's foot and bent down to grab it. "Everything's okay now," Armin said, shaking the brown elastic for emphasis. He put it on his wrist and started smoothing his hair back, pulling all of the side hairs back into a ponytail. 

"Armin?"

"Yes?", Armin said stopping what he was doing to listen to what Eren had to say.

"Can I do it?" Armin wasn't sure how to respond. Had he heard him correctly. Maybe this was his way of returning the favor after the tie. Armin pulled the elastic off of his wrist and handed it to Eren. "Can you.."  
He stopped mid-sentence, a small blush appearing on his face. "Can you turn around please?" Armin was sure that he was dreaming. The air around him had somehow gotten thicker as Armin felt as if he was gasping for air. He turned around and let out a small gasp when he felt Eren's hands on his hair. His hands were a lot more gentle than he expected. Eren was being as careful as possible when moving his hair around. When Eren smoothed out a piece of hair on the side of his face, Armin swore he had died. He could feel the warmth of his hand on his skin. The temperature seemed to have spiked despite the cold air. "There," Eren said, his hands lingering in his hair even after he had finished. "Your hair looks nice like this," Eren commented. Armin knew his face was red. He could practically feel the heat radiating through his skin.

"We should go inside," Armin said, "I think we're missing the party"

"I'd rather be here with you,"


	5. chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! im so sorry for taking so long..i know im not "late" but i still feel bad for making you guys wait. ALSO, there is slight mentions of death and also the use of weed so proceed at your own risk. next chapter will be out later on today!

"I'd rather be here with you," 

Armin had no idea what to say. He noticed how frequently he felt this way around Eren. Speechless. He tried to collect his thoughts when forming his next sentence, struggling to put the words together correctly. He looked up at Eren, desperately trying to get a clue about what he meant from his expression. "You want..", he started, stopping to take a deep breath before speaking again, "You want to be with me here instead? Alone?"

"Yeah, the event is super crowded right now," Eren said. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small blue lighter, "Crowds make me nervous." He looked around before fishing into his pockets again.

"What are you looking for?"

"I thought I brought my..", Eren sighed, putting his hand in his back pocket and checking there too. He groaned softly and looked down at Armin, "I forgot my joint." Armin wasn't sure if he was surprised or not. It made sense that he did, but at the same time he couldn't imagine Eren smoking. Armin walked around Eren and opened the car door, getting into the drivers seat before closing the door. He lowered the window to a very confused Eren.

"Going somewhere blondie?"

"Get in." Armin rolled the window up not giving Eren a chance to respond. The passenger door opened shortly after. Eren got into the car and closed the door.

"Soooo, what are we doing?", Eren said, a smile playing on his face. He raised his eyebrow at Armin and instinctively put on his seatbelt.

"Can I take you somewhere?" Eren nodded. He leaned back into the seat and glanced back at Armin. Armin pulled his seatbelt on and turned on the car, turning right. He drove for a couple of minutes until he noticed that Eren had been staring. He could feel his gaze and stepped harder on the gas, trying his best to control his feelings. Why? Why does he have to look at him like that? Armin wonders again why every time he's with him, he wishes for more. He finally arrived and parked his car. Glancing over to Eren he gestured for him to get out. Armin reached around to the back seat and grabbed a small tin box from the seat before leaving his car. "Follow me?" 

"Am I about to get murdered?", Eren joked. Armin laughed and shook his head leading him down a small stone path to a playground. There was a small hill that was at the bottom and in order to get to the playground you needed to climb the hill. Armin quickly made his way up, having been here before. Eren stared up at him in awe. His lips were parted slightly and he nervously fidgeted with his hair. "How do I?", he started.

"Put your foot on that rock and then put the other one there." Armin pointed out the small crevices that would allow for an easy climb. Eren followed his instructions and just when he was going to make it to the top his foot slipped. Armin grabbed his arm, holding on to him until he regained his footing. "You okay?"

"You really are trying to get me killed.", Eren said, holding on tightly to the rocks. He stood at the same spot for a while, frozen in place. 

"Here", Armin said, reaching his hand down to point to the next rock. But instead of moving his foot, Eren grabbed onto his hand, he looked up at him silently asking for help. Armin ignored the spark he felt at the touch. He placed the box on the floor, before he put his other hand out so that Eren could grab it too and yanked him up. The feeling in his stomach had returned once again and Armin had began to find comfort in it. Eren's hands were extremely soft. He knew this didn't mean anything. It was just to help him up. But he couldn't help the need for more. He wanted to hold his hand, but not like this. Eren let go of his hand and let out a relieved sigh. Armin walked over to the swings and sat in one pointing to the one next to him so Eren could sit down too. He opened up the tin box and pulled out a joint, handing it to Eren. Eren raised an eyebrow at him and took it.

"I'm surprised you smoke"

"I think there's a lot of things that might surprise you about me.", Armin said softly, watching as Eren lit the end of the joint. He put it to his lips and inhaled slowly, holding his breath for a while before talking.

"Oh yeah? Tell me something", Eren said, small slivers of smoke coming out at the end of his sentence. He looked so beautiful. Armin wanted to understand so badly why he felt this way. He didn't know anything about him but how he wanted to. He wanted to know everything. If there was one thing that would surprise Eren it would be the things Armin thought about him. But how could he ever tell him that? How could he tell him that since the day he met him, he was all that Armin could think about. That Armin wasn't sure if he was going to be able to sleep if he wasn't surrounded by Eren's smell. He would never be able to say these things so instead he opted for the easiest thing he could say.

"I guess you'll have to find out."

"Playing hard to get now?" Eren said, taking another inhale before passing it to Armin. Armin stared down at the joint, debating on taking a hit. Isn't this basically like a secondhand kiss? Armin never shared his weed so why today? Why with him? He brought the joint up to his lips, his hand shaking slightly. As he inhaled he relished in the feeling of the smoke filling up his lungs. There was another flavor and Armin took another hit to find out what it was. Strawberry. 

"Were you eating strawberries?", Armin asked quickly.

"How did you know that?", Eren replied, his eyes widened. Eren realized quickly why he had asked and spoke again, "Shit does the joint taste like it? I'm sorry I should have-"

"It's okay, I just wanted to know." He tastes like strawberries, Armin thought. He was starting to feel lightheaded and he wasn't sure if it was the weed or Eren. He passed the joint back to Eren and put the tin box on the floor. He positioned himself better in the swing and pulled himself back. The air felt nice against his face as he began picking up speed on the swing. Armin relished in the feeling of being close to the sky. The adrenaline rush mixed with the weed coursing through his veins lead to a spectacular high. He hadn't noticed that Eren was swinging himself too until he heard the tin can close. 

"How did you find this place?", Eren asked, raising his voice so he could be heard over the creaking swings.

"I was driving around looking for a place to escape and I came across it", Armin said, smiling.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you smoke?" Eren said, competing with him and swinging himself faster. 

"I get really nervous and it helps me calm down," Armin said, slowing down a bit before speaking again, "My parents died when I was young and I suffered from panic attacks for a long time afterwards. Weed helps." He looked over to Eren who had stopped swinging and was staring at him intensely. 

"I'm sorry," Eren said reaching down to pick up the joint and handing it to him, "I lost my parents too. I don't smoke for it but it definitely helps."

"How'd you lose them," Armin asks, taking a long hit this time.

"Murder," Eren replies softly, "You?"

"Mine too." Neither of them spoke for a moment. Armin found comfort in the silence. He handed him the joint and motioned for him to finish it. "We used to live in a really bad neighborhood, my parents got mixed up with the wrong people and ended up paying the price. Wish they were here to see me now, not sure if they'd be proud though."

"They would be," Eren said softly. He stood up quickly and Armin did too. Armin was confused but assumed Eren wanted to go. Armin leaned down to pick up the stuff but froze when Eren closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around him. Armin's heart was racing. He raised his hands and hugged Eren back. He was surrounded my Eren's scent but it was different from his jacket. The smell was a lot stronger and Armin was grateful that Eren couldn't see his face. Armin was glad that Eren wasn't trying to let go because he wasn't sure if he would be able to. He could feel Eren's heart racing under his head. The weed was beginning to kick in and Armin couldn't help but say this. His face was pressed hard into Eren's chest when he spoke, 

"You smell so good," He felt Eren shift and then felt his Eren's head lower down. Eren turned his head and leaned in closer to Armin's face, putting his lips next to Armin's ear. 

"Hm?" Eren said softly, his lips softly brushing against Armin's ear when he raised his head again. Armin had died. He had died and gone to heaven. He felt goosebumps all over his body and was convinced that Eren had killed him. His chest was warm and he was grateful that his face was hidden. He didn't repeat what he had said in fear that he would accidentally add an 'you're hot' to the end of his sentence. He felt Eren move again and squeezed his arms tighter around him. "What did you say Armin?", he whispered again. This time Eren didn't move, his face staying exactly where it was. Armin could feel Eren's breath on his ear and was sure that he would drop dead any second. Armin still said nothing. "C'mon tell me", Eren said, his voice sounding raspier then before. Armin pulled his face back a little and looked into Eren's eyes. 

"I said you smell so good." Armin's heart was beating faster than before and he was sure Eren could tell. Armin swore that he saw Eren's pupils grow but he chalked it up to him being high. 

"You smell good too Armin," Eren replied, he opened his mouth and spoke again, softer this time "I've never met anyone quite like you." Armin was ready to respond when his phone rang, startling both of them. Jean's name flashed on his phone and he groaned loudly, angry at the interruption. He picked up the phone and sighed. 

"What?", he said, waiting for Jean to give him a reason to why he was calling.

"ARMIN WHERE ARE YOU DUDE? YOU GOTTA COME GET ME AND CONNIE RIGHT NOW. CONNIE SAW SASHA KISS NICCOLO AND HE WONT STOP CRYING MAN. HELP"

Armin sighed and hung up the phone, sending an apologetic look to Eren before they both headed back to his car.  
\---

"You better have a good fucking explanation.", Armin said. Jean was sitting in the passenger seat with a drink in his hand while Connie was laying in the back, crying and mumbling. 

"I'm sorry man he just freaked out." It was 3:45 and Armin cursed himself for not keeping track of the time. He was supposed to make bread with Eren today and wondered if the plan was still on. Once Connie had been dropped off and everything was settled, Armin finally gave himself a chance to think about what had happened. What happened between him and Eren was different. He didn't know how Eren felt, but man did he want to. He hoped that Eren felt the same about him that he did. He changed out of his dress clothes and laid down in bed. He covered himself with his blanket and sighed, once again thinking about the boy from the coffee shop.  
\---  
It was 2:23 when Armin woke up the next morning. He groaned at the time and got out of bed. Armin went straight to the shower and then changed into a gray long sleeve with dark blue jeans. He tied his hair back into a small bun while slipping on his shoes. The ride to the coffee shop felt longer than usual as he overthought everything that had happened. When he arrived Eren's car was outside of the coffee shop. Armin was grateful that he arrived at a decent time as he got out of his car and headed to the entrance. Eren was sitting in front of the door and smiled when he saw Armin. 

"Hi", said Armin.

"You ready to make bread?", replied Eren, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Eren threw on his apron and grabbed another smaller one and handed it to Armin. 

"I'm ready" Armin attempted to put on the apron and failed miserably as the straps continued to fall off, causing the apron to fall on the floor. Eren chuckled at this and picked it up off the floor. 

"Turn around i'll tie it for you." Armin complied. Eren's hands were warm as he tied the apron's strap around his neck. Armin could feel his hand on the base of his neck and had to prevent himself from passing out every time Eren even remotely touched him. Eren finished tying the one at his neck and moved on to the next one. The straps had fallen under the front of the apron and Eren reached in to grab them. When his hand grazed Armin's stomach he inhaled sharply. He prayed that Eren hadn't heard it but didn't doubt that he did. "Did I hurt you?", Eren said softly, tying it around his back. 

"No", Armin said, his question answered. Eren hummed in response and finished up tying the apron. 

"All done." Eren smiled and led Armin into the back. The counter had tons of ingredients on it and Armin was feeling overwhelmed again. "Don't worry i'll tell you what's what." Eren pointed out a couple containers, telling Armin where to put them. After mixing everything in they had reached a dough consistency. 

"What now?", Armin said, noticing there was no more ingredients on the counter. 

"Now you have to knead it." Eren flipped the bowl over onto a floured cutting board and pointed to it. "There." Armin stared at the dough blankly and put his hand on it, not sure what to do. 

"So I just?" Armin said, poking the dough repeatedly, "I'm sorry i am so confused how the hell do I do this?"  
Eren laughed at this and grabbed a small piece of the dough, demonstrating how to do it. Armin mimicked his movements but was still extremely confused. 

"It's hard at first, here". Eren reached over and grabbed Armin's hands, holding on to them while kneading the dough. Eren moved his hands for him while showing him the basic movements. "Got it?", Eren asked, removing his hands from his. 

"No," Armin lied, wanting Eren's hands back on his if only for a little longer. Eren smiled at him and placed his hands back on Armin's, showing him the movements again slowly. Armin backed up a little bit to get away from the flour that was spilling all over him while they kneaded the dough, but was met immediately with Eren's chest. His back hit Eren's chest hard and he noticed Eren's hands squeeze tighter around his. "Sorry.", Armin said attempting to move forward but instead just moving sideways while still having himself against Eren. Eren let out a small gasp and Armin quickly moved again, pressing himself against the table. "Shit, sorry.", Armin said again. 

"It's okay, just..", Eren said, speeding up the movement of his hands on the dough, "Warn me next time yeah?" Eren let go of Armin's hands and grabbed a napkin, wiping both of his hands and the side of the table. "I have to use the bathroom i'll be right back." Armin nodded and continued kneading. He stopped after a few minutes and washed his hands at the sink. Eren returned from the bathroom shortly afterwards and looked at the dough, praising Armin for the good work. Eren's face was extremely red and Armin wondered if it was from what happened, or the ovens. Eren transferred the dough into a mold and put it in the oven, setting the timer before looking back to Armin. "Do you want to make cupcakes?"


	6. chapter six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry for the (very) short chapter i wanted to update as fast as i could for you guys. next chapter will be longer i swear

"Cupcakes?", Armin said laughing, it was so random that Armin couldn't help finding it cute. Eren fidgeted with his hair again and then untied his apron, tying it again tighter than before.

"We don't have to we just have the extra ingredients so I thought maybe you'd want to.", he rambled, messing with his hands when he said it. Armin smiled at him and nodded.

"Cupcakes sound nice, Eren.", Eren looked at Armin when he heard his name. Eren smiled and went to the cabinets, pulling down a cupcake tray and two bowls. He grabbed the ingredients from the cabinet too and placed them neatly on the counter. Eren threw in a bunch of different things. Armin attempted to keep up with what he was adding but gave up as soon as two similar looking powders went into the mixture. Eren threw in eggs and made the batter. He handed it over to Armin and pointed to the tray, insinuating that he should pour it into the tray. "How long have you been working here?", Armin asked, measuring every cupcake out evenly.

"Two years," Eren replied, moving over to the fridge and getting out a large tub of frosting. He placed it down on the counter and grabbed the cupcake tray, placing them in a different oven. "Did you mean what you said at the park?", Eren asked, his tone switching. Armin froze. He had no idea how to respond, was Eren being serious? Was this all just some cruel joke to get Armin to embarrass himself? Armin didn't respond but instead fumbled with the lid on the frosting tub, pretending to be busy. Armin assumed that Eren was going to change the subject when he realized Armin wasn't going to say anything. But Eren didn't give up easily. Eren hopped onto the counter, sitting across from Armin, directly in his line of sight. "Did you hear me?", Eren said, tilting his head to the side when he asked. Armin could feel his skin warming up, was Eren this determined to make Armin say something stupid? Armin ignored him again, turning around to check on the bread. He knew if he stood there while Eren was watching him he wouldn't be able to not answer him. He heard a small shuffling noise while staring into the oven but refused to acknowledge it. It wasn't until he felt Eren's presence behind him that he turned around. "Armin", Eren said, his voice deeper than before, "Are you really going to make me ask you again?" Eren was staring at Armin now, his eyes piercing his. Armin was beginning to think that maybe making cupcakes too was a bad idea. He took a deep inhale to steady his breath, making sure his voice didn't falter when he spoke, 

"What do you mean?", he said slowly, hoping Eren would just drop it. Eren's eyes scanned his face, an unreadable expression displayed on his face. Armin was nervous. He felt the room heating up and once again the feeling in his stomach returned. Armin clutched at his apron, attempting to cool the room down even just a little bit. Eren moved in closer and Armin was struggling to breathe. He was going to need an inhaler by the time this finished. Eren smiled at him softly and spoke,

"Did you mean it when you said that I smell good." Eren refused to break eye contact. His body only inches away from Armin's. Armin was looking straight up at him, his heart beating faster than it usually did when around Eren. He felt his breathing become more shallow and noticed how he was basically gasping to receive air. It was like Eren had sucked up all of the oxygen in the room. Armin stared at Eren's lips, he wondered if Eren would take his breath away in another manner too. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, trying to remove the thoughts from his mind. 

"Yes," Armin said, so quietly that it was basically inaudible. He thought that was the end of it. That Eren would give up after having his fun, but Eren didn't move. Instead he stared at him ever more intensely than he had before. Eren lowered his head, placing it straight in front of Armin's. Armin wanted to lean in, he wanted to close the gap so badly. Armin had had enough. He closed his eyes again, he was going to do it. He leaned in slowly, but instead of being met with his lips, Armin's lips brushed against Eren's ear. Eren shuddered slightly but made no attempt to move, his breathing speeding up.

"I didn't hear what you said. Say it again please." Armin almost cried at the words. Eren obviously wasn't trying to kiss him. He cursed himself and pulled his head back, praying that Eren didn't know what he was trying to do. "I didn't say to move back.", Eren said softly, leaning his ear towards Armin again. Armin held onto the wall for support before taking a deep breath. He was careful not to breathe straight into Eren's ear, there was absolutely nothing hot about having someone do that. Armin leaned his head forward, his lips brushing against Eren's ear once more. 

"Yes," He said. Eren inhaled sharply and Armin moved his head back. Eren stood up straight, turning to face Armin. He grabbed Armin's hand and placed it over his chest. 

"Armin, why is my heart beating so fast?" Eren was right. His heart was beating extremely fast and Armin wondered too, why Eren's heart was racing. Was it because of him? It couldn't be. 

"I don't know.", Armin replied, grabbing Eren's hand and putting it on his chest too, "Why is mine?" They both stood there for a while, feeling each other's hearts beating in silence. 

"Do I smell good right now?", Eren joked, breaking the silence. Armin could hear the smile in Eren's voice. Armin had no idea how Eren was able to switch to joking after that. Maybe it really was all in Armin's head. Armin decided that it was now or never. He leaned into Eren, putting his face on Eren's chest and inhaling softly. Eren's body stiffened when he felt Armin's head on him. All of the playfulness from before gone. Armin's nose was filled with his scent. It was intoxicating. Armin didn't want to pull away. 

"I think you smell amazing."

"Armin, I think you-" At the exact moment that Eren began speaking the oven beeped, indicating that the bread and cupcakes were done. Armin snapped back to reality. The moment was over. "Looks like the stuff is done", Eren said, not exactly sounding happy about it. Eren put on some oven mitts and opened the oven door, pulling out the bread and cupcakes from their ovens. He placed them into the freezer and looked over to Armin, wagging his eyebrows playfully. "Give it 10 minutes and then we can frost the cupcakes." 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, here" Eren said, handing Armin a piping bag filled with frosting. "You do these four and I can do the other four." Eren had separated the cupcakes on two plates and had filled two bags with frosting. 

"This is going to look terrible," Armin laughed, "I'm so bad at icing things." Eren chuckled at him and shook his head slightly.

"It doesn't matter, we're just gonna eat them anyway." Armin iced his first cupcake with a smiley face, he spent entirely too long trying to make the eyes even that by the time he finished Eren had already finished with his. 

"What the fuck how are you so fast??", Armin said. Eren's cupcakes were perfect. It couldn't have been longer than a minute and he had managed to ice four cupcakes flawlessly. Eren laughed at the comment and picked up a cupcake, taking a huge bite. 

"Practice. I've been doing it for years." Armin grumbled and finished icing his own cupcakes, settling for a basic design on the rest. Eren reached over and snatched one of Armin's cupcakes, stuffing it into his mouth before Armin could complain. "See, you took a lot longer but yours are better." Eren had frosting on the side of his cheek and Armin laughed at the sight. Eren looked visibly confused and began to rub his face, trying to find the icing that had gotten on it. Eren somehow managed to rub his entire face and still not get it off. Armin laughed even harder at his expression. "Arminnn it's not funny.", he said playfully. Armin raised his hand up, taking the icing off with his finger. Before Armin could remove his hand from his face, Eren had grabbed it, putting Armin's finger up to his lips and putting the tip of it in his mouth. Armin had died again. Eren sucked the frosting off and released Armin's finger with a pop. Armin didn't know how long it had been since he took a breath, but he was definitely going to pass out soon. "Can't waste it.", Eren said casually, leaving Armin with his hand still in the air and his mouth open slightly. Why did everything he did have to be so hot?, Armin thought. Eren grabbed another cupcake and ate it, not looking even remotely phased by what happened. 

"Eren?", Armin said, his breath giving up on him and making it sound lighter than he intended it to. 

"Hm?", Eren replied. 

"Was the icing good?", Eren froze at this comment and Armin smiled to himself, he had succeeded in making Eren stop what he was doing. Eren put down his half eaten cupcake and turned to look at Armin, his tongue poking out to lick his lip as he spoke, 

"It was the best i've ever had."


End file.
